The present invention refers to an earthquake-proof sleeping place comprising a bed, a base frame and at least one protective frame adapted to be moved upward relative to the base frame.
In areas threatened by earthquakes there is a risk of people being caught in their sleep by an earthquake and being killed or injured by collapsing building parts. To reduce this risk, different sleeping places have been developed that have a protective frame which, triggered by an earthquake sensor rises above the bed and protects the same at least against larger collapsing building masses. Such a sleeping place is described in JP-08 266 374 A. The protective frame is made of spring-loaded parts moved upward and locked when triggered. It surrounds the entire circumference of the bed and thus presents a considerable nuisance that substantially hinders the use of the bed and the making of the bed.
JP-08 266 373 A describes an earthquake-proof sleeping place wherein the bed is normally fastened in a raised position on a frame and is lowered when triggered so that the frame projects vertically above the bed. Again, this only provides protection against larger debris such as concrete ceilings.
JP-08 322 956 A describes a protective frame extending over the bed in the manner of a canopy and being guided in telescopic tubes. The canopy is supported by air bags disposed within the telescopic tubes. These known protective devices for sleeping places are disadvantageous in that they provide such significant changes to the bed that comfort is considerably restricted. Moreover, in many cases, the protective frame only projects upward from the sides of the bed so that medium size debris parts can fall on the bed and the sleeping person.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an earthquake-proof that affects the bed only slightly and that is capable of effectively protecting the bed or a person sleeping therein from parts falling thereon.
The base frame of the sleeping place according to the present invention is arranged underneath the bed. This means that the major part of the base frame is situated in the region of the vertical projection of the bed, i.e. directly under the bed. The base frame has a guiding track for an arcuate supporting bar of the protective frame. In the withdrawn state of the protective frame, this supporting bar is located in the area of the base frame below the bed. In the extended state of the frame, it is moved upward along the guiding track, covering a part of the width of the bed. Thus, the invention provides not only a cage with side walls, but, as it were, a protective drum with a roof portion.
Preferably, the guiding track consists of the outer tube of a telescope tube, while the supporting bar consists of the inner tube thereof. This allows for a particularly favorable guiding of the supporting bar and for great stability. In this case, the tube telescope may at the same time serve as a piston cylinder unit for pneumatically pushing the inner tube from the outer tube.
At the upper end of the at least one supporting bar, the protective frame may have a longitudinal bar extending in the longitudinal direction of the bed. This longitudinal bar further increases stability. With a plurality of supporting bars present, it interconnects the same to form a rigid supporting frame. The longitudinal bar also reduces the mesh width of the protective frame.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is obtained by providing the base frame with two protective frames that, in the extended state, form a protective device vaulting over the bed. Preferably, this protective device is circular, the base frame, forming the stationary part of the protective device, extending over an angle slightly larger than 120xc2x0 and each supporting bar also covering about 120xc2x0. The supporting bars in their extended state and the base frame combine to form a complete circle. However, it is not necessary for the two protective frames to contact or abut each other when extended. Rather, they may keep a distance from each other.
A substantial increase in security may be obtained by one air bag at least one protective frame, which covers part of the bed in its inflated state. In the event of an earthquake, this air bag is triggered by an earthquake sensor. By covering part of the bed, it protects a person lying in the bed from falling debris.